29 May 2017

Inadequate funding of programmes meant to uplift communities in need could soon be a thing of the past with the commencement of the national lottery.

While many people consider the lottery as a get rich quick scheme, if properly run, it can generate a lot of revenue in the form of levies to government.

This can then be used to augment dwindling government coffers and fund charitable causes in society.

These sentiments were expressed by the chief executive officer of the Gambling Authority, Mr Thuli Johnson during a stakeholder engagement forum in Francistown on May 25.

Mr Johnson noted that a lot of charity organisations were collapsing due to lack of funding, and said the lottery would be an opportunity to raise the needed cash to keep them going.

The CEO said Botswana was faced with budgetary constraints to meet the needs of all sectors of society such as the arts, charity and sporting codes.

“Some of these organisations are doing a good job in the area of HIV/AIDS, counselling, looking after the elderly and orphans,” he added.

Mr Johnson noted that artist were complaining about lack of funding for projects which they could develop to improve their livelihoods and create employment.

He said he saw the lottery as a necessary development which would contribute to the economic development of the country.

He also recalled that the building of the national theatre was deferred due to lack of funding.

Mr Johnson asserted that when they award the licences for the lottery, one of the important considerations would be how much the operators were willing to spend funding good causes.

The Gambling Authority CEO also informed his audience that his entity has been given the mandate to regulate and control gambling through issuing licenses.

This, he noted, included defining areas where gambling could be set up and collecting government levies.

Mr Johson explained that some of the licenses they would issue include those for bingo, casino, racing, bookmakers, totalisators, pools and lottery.

In addition, he said out of the nine casino licences in the country two were based in Francistown.

He also said they would be issuing other licenses in Palapye, Maun and Kasane.

"Very soon we will be issuing the national lottery, sports betting and bingo licenses,” he said.

The national lottery, Mr Johnson explained, would be owned by the government who would seek an operator to run it on her own behalf through a 10 year license.

The operator, he added, needs to be serious and have sufficient funds and ability to set up the lottery infrastructure across the country.

They also, he asserted, need to show knowledge to operate lottery systems and ensure citizen participation.

Explaining the reason why government was introducing the lottery, the CEO said apart from being a source of revenue, the business was a source of entertainment as it energised people and created employment. ENDS